Glory
by Cracked Plastic Crown
Summary: AU with AxelxRoxas, LeonxCloud and whatever else that can be written! A somewhat PWP, because there is a semblance of a plot to help the love flow! Features randomness and tomatoes!
1. Act 1 For Love

**Author Notes:** What? Another one!? They took my Internet away...I needed something to do...

**Disclaimer:** Is there any point to these? People don't purposely read fanfics to see if there's no disclaimer and get people sued do they? Well, if there are this is for you: SUCKS TO BE YOU! I don't own Kingdom Hearts/CoM/Kingdom Hearts II or any of the Final Fantasies.

**Story Notes:** I have no clue...I'm writing as I go along...Totally AU, some characters may be OOC in certain ways...I don't care. If you don't like it, I shall now repeat one of my favourite sayings just for you: Sucks to be you! Story will definitely contain shounen-ai, yaoi and whatever else I wanna put in it. I might just write a chapter that contains nothing but a tomato! Granted it'll be a boring chapter, but you're gonna want one now ain't you?

For all my lovely followers, stalkers, owners of my soul/various body parts; I LOVE YEW AND YOU CAN HAVE MY BABIES/I WANT YOUR BABIES!

**Glory**

Act.1: For Love.

He was that boy in the class that sat near the back. Not quite the back; that was for the students that had no intention of ever learning anything, but almost the back. To the left of the door, across from the clock, next to the window at the edge of the room. He was no amazing student, nowhere near the level of over-achiever. He was just there.

Every day of the school week.

Monday to Friday.

January to December and every month in between.

He didn't stand out in the crowd, nor was he forgotten at the wayside. He didn't present himself as a leader, but he didn't exactly follow either. He just went along with whatever was happening at the moment as if it seemed to be the best thing to do at the time. Maybe it was for him, no one ever thought to ask about it.

It was Thursday, that definitive day before the last day of the week, but situated at such a place that it was a mind numbing day that should have been eradicated from the calender. It was also at that time of day that too should be removed. A few hours before the end of the day, one hour after lunch.

Welcome to Maths class.

A man named Luxord taught mathematics to the sixteen to seventeen year olds during this time of day on a Thursday. By 'taught' means that he encouraged the minds of the youth that were willing to learn and babbled incoherent garbage to the minds of the youth that had no idea what he was on about and was sub sequentially ignored in the process.

That boy's seat seemed to be the same in every room, in every class. He always managed to acquire a window seat on the edge of the room, no matter what classroom it happened to be.

Axel could of watched him for hours.

"Yo', Axel!" came a voice from Axel's left. "Julian wants to know if you're going to that party tomorrow!?"

Axel was lost in his own world that consisted of merely himself and that boy. The voice in the background was something inaudible whispered in the wind. However, a strategically thrown pen missile hitting him in his ear was less ignorable and head spun around to focus upon his attacker. "What!?" he snapped, annoyed over the fact his day dream had been interrupted so rudely.

Zexion sighed, rolling his eyes. "I said; Julian wants to know if you're going to that party tomorrow? Because his brother and his band are playing and he needs to tell him how many of his friends are going. You know, so he can tell his parents?"

Axel had to think on this for a few moments. After a short while and still having no idea what the lilac haired boy had said, he stared confused at him. "What?"

Eyes were rolled again. "Julian, brother, band, party," he said simply. "Memory of Xehanort are playing at the party tomorrow. Julian can't go unless some friends are going to prove to his parents that he won't get drunk. We would like to know if you are going."

There was a shrug as Axel was unsure about any party. He didn't even remember being told about any party. He knew the band though, they were pretty good. "Sure, why not?"

Zexion nodded, turning to the open workbook on his desk and scribbling a few things down.

Curious, Axel leaned over, craning his neck to see what it was that Zexion was jotting down. "So what's this party for?" he asked, sitting back in his seat as the other male glared at him and covered his writing with his arm.

"The pointless excuse for a party I do believe..." mused the other, looking over at Axel while scrunching up a piece of paper torn from his work book. With precise aim, the paper was throw at the back of the head of the boy infront. As the attacked youth rubbed the back of his head out of instinct and turned around to glare at the teen that sat behind him, Zexion grinned smugly back at him. "What's this party about?"

The youth shrugged, resting his arm on the back of his seat. "College students party; beer sex and drugs. You know the sort."

"No wonder Julian's parents are being sticks in the mud..." muttered Axel as he slumped back in his chair, arms folding across his chest.

The youth grinned. "Yeah, but you know what he's like with his older brother. I'd of thought you'd of known, aren't you sleeping with Demyx right now? He's the guitarist, or something."

As he thought about it, he did remember Demyx ranting about something about his band and a party on Friday. Some girl was hosting it for her friends or somewhere along those lines. "I'm not 'sleeping with Demyx'," protested Axel. "We're just really good friends."

There was a snigger from the youth. "I bet you moan a different tune with your ass in the air for him!"

"Hayner!" came a shout from the front of the room and each of the faces of the group at the back of the class instantly fixed upon the teacher who'd previously just been a droning noise in the background. "I would appreciate it if you would not say things like that in my classroom" Like a Mexican wave travels through a crowd, a wave of hushed giggles and sniggers washed over the class. That boy in the corner in his window seat averted his gaze from his friend that was at the forefront of the teacher's attention and moved to stare out of the window instead. "I would also like it if you apologised to Axel for such a derogative comment. I'm sure he did not like you claiming he was...homosexual"

"But Axel is sir!" came another voice somewhere in the classroom. It was that Elizabeth girl; all looks and no brains. She was waving her hand in the air as she attempted to get the teacher's attention. "He sang 'Gay Bar' in the cafeteria last week!"

Axel's head hit his desk, and he banged it repeatedly as the blonde bimbo of a human once again spoke of the 'dare' that Seifer had put him up to last week. Axel was never one to turn down a good dare, and with Seifer egging him on, there was no way he could turn away. The 'leader of the Disciplinary Committee' even gave a formal announcement that Axel would be singing for everyone's 'enjoyment'. There was no way he could of walked away after that.

Luxord sighed. "Elizabeth, one does not determine his or her sexual preference by being a fool in the school cafeteria," he explained to her. He'd rather be teaching mathematics than talking to a class full of hormonal teenagers about sexuality, or being total fools, both seemed about the same. Axel was involved in the conversation, so either could be true.

"But then he grabbed Seifer and kissed him!" she shouted, furthering Axel's embarrassment. She had no idea it was all fake and Axel had received a rather painful gut-punch from the male that had started it all. But now at least Seifer had also acquired the 'gay label' that was given to certain students at Twilight High. The Disciplinary Committee lost all of its high status because of its front man now baring the 'gay' tag. "He also hangs out with gays! I've seen him outside of school!"

Even Zexion was covering his face with his hand as Elizabeth further dug herself into a hole that she would undoubtedly be unable to get out of without tarnishing a few more reputations. He was trying his best not to burst out laughing at her.

Luxord was getting rather aggravated by now. "Elizabeth, who a person chooses to be friends with also does not determine their sexual preference. Now can we please drop the subject and return to learning about triangles?"

Pouting, she silenced and stared at her workbook after Luxord's stern words finally hit home. If she had kept up there could have been the threat of detention, and she would rather not tarnish her popular reputation by getting a detention from what was seen as a 'laid back' teacher. If one didn't want to learn, Luxord did not force them. He rarely ever handed out detentions and only really focused his attention on the students that were willing to learn. He took his chances, but he was the kind of gambling man. Not to mention the students seemed to like him.

Once the class was settled again and the majority of the students were working once again, Hayner turned around in his seat to look at the youth who's face was almost as bright as his hair. "Look, sorry..."

Axel merely snorted, eyes cast elsewhere to further prove the point that he was ignoring the other male. Pen held loosely in his hand, it scrawled along the page, doodling messy scribbles over the paper.

Zexion glanced over and sighed heavily. "I don't think your apology is going to be accepted any time soon, Hayer," he explained.

"You're friends with Roxas, right?" Axel asked, prying his eyes away from the object of his desire to the object of his current disdain.

Confused at such a strange question, Hayner nodded slightly. "Yeah...Why?"

"He's pretty..." he replied dreamily, head slumping onto his desk, green eyes watching the youth whom sat across from him.

Trying not to laugh, Hayner looked over at his spiky blond friend and sniggered. "He won't go for you in a million years. Roxas has taste,"

Zexion chuckled. "Like that would put Axel off. Stalking is just another way of saying: 'I love you'."

"Thanks for the support," murmured Axel, his eyes still watching Roxas work on whatever it was Luxord had set for the class to get on with.

Zexion smirked slyly. "My pleasure," Grinning almost evilly, he turned to Hayner, plots and plans forming in his head already. "Is Roxas going to that party tomorrow?"

Thinking on it, Hayner nodded. "Yeah. At least I think so. Olette has been saying that she wants him to take her. She also keep complaining to me about why Roxas hasn't asked her out yet"

Axel groaned at the sound of Hayner's words and buried his head in his arms. "My world has no meaning..." he whined.

"Oh shut up," said Zexion, reaching over and smacking Axel across the back of his head while Luxord wasn't looking. It was five minutes till the bell would ring anyway, so the teacher wasn't paying much attention to his class any longer and was more focused on preparing for the next class to follow. "Why don't you just try talking to the boy?"

"Because he has a girlfriend," complained Axel from somewhere within the nest of his folded arms.

Hayner turned back to begin packing his thinks away in anticipation of the bell while laughing to himself. Zexion just sighed and instead of using his hand, hit the love-sick puppy with his workbook instead. This, Luxord saw, but instead of incurring more useless conversations with the lesser intelligent students of his class, the bell rang and they all began packing their things away and before he even had chance to dismiss them, many were getting up to leave.

Axel was rubbing his head while stuffing things with his other hand into his bag. "You didn't have to hit me," he complained to Zexion, whom by now was all packed and ready to leave for his next lesson.

"I had to, else you'd turn into a whiny love-sick girl," he explained smugly. "I cannot put up with love-sick girls, so I hit you to give you a boost of masculinity"

Hayner overheard and laughed. "Axel's a fairy. No amount of boosting his masculinity ill ever change that"

The red head sneered at Hayner as he slung his bag over his shoulder. "Better watch your words, Blondie. I might just start coming onto you"

Hayner scrunched up his face, and with a long and drawn out 'eww' left the classroom with a chuckling Axel and Zexion behind him.

Axel however, was reluctant to move far away from the classroom, and patting Zexion on the shoulder, turned back to wait for a certain someone to leave the room. Leaning against the wall, that boy walked out, eyes cast to the ground and watching his feet. Only a tap to his shoulder pulled him out of his own reality, and bright blue eyes looked up to the taller, older male. Whatever he was saying to him went unheard.

There was the soft and almost quiet sound of music in the air, and Roxas was looking confused at him while he spoke. Green eyes drifted to the teen's ears, soon spotting a pair of almost well hidden headphones pushed into his ears. With one hand, Axel motioned to his own ear, hoping that Roxas would get the message.

"What?" Roxas asked, pulling the plugs from his ears and letting them dangle from the neck of his shirt; the wire deftly hidden behind the fabric of his clothes. How most of his teachers didn't notice that Roxas listened to music was beyond him, but he didn't complain.

Axel smiled brightly at him. "Are you going to that party tomorrow night?" he asked, having to rush to Roxas' side since the teen had decided to walk to his next lesson.

The spiky haired boy shrugged. "Why?" he asked.

"Well, er...You see..." Trying to think fast on his feet was not Axel's speciality, and receiving almost complete blank emotion from his current obsession in life was making it even harder for him to think straight. "Julian needs to know so he can tell his parents and something..." Scratching the back of his neck nervously, he looked to the figure beside him and received almost no reaction from him.

"Yes," he said simply, slipping one of the earphones into his ear.

"Er, 'yes' what?"

Roxas sighed heavily, turned and looked up at the other. "Yes I'm going. Now are you going to quit staring at me like some moron?"

Axel swallowed hard at the lump in his throat. "I don't stare at you"

Blue eyes were rolled at the taller male. "Yes you do. I see you doing it all the time. Hayner even tells me you stare at me. You're like some perverted stalker, I'm surprised it's taken you so long to even bother talking to me,"

Such harsh words coming from such an angelic looking creature seemed to cause Axel's heart to break like an architect sculpting with bad rock. "I'm not a stalker,"

Again, blue eyes were rolled at him. "So why do you stare at me?" he asked.

Once more forced to think fast, Axel's hand rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I...um...like you..." he admitted.

This brought a smile from the blond. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a pen and held out his other hand. "Give me your hand," he ordered.

Unsure and wary, Axel slowly offered his hand for the other teenager, and it was quickly snatched up with a firm grip. Using the pen, Roxas wrote a number onto the back of Axel's palm, then let it slip away once he'd finished. Holding up his hand to his face, Axel curiously inspected the number which appeared to be something along the lines of a phone number.

There was an almost impish grin on the blond's face now, replacing the blank and expressionless mask he'd previously been wearing. "Give me a call sometime," he said, before turning and walking off down the corridor, pushing the other earphone into his ear as he went and leaving a dumbstruck Axel behind in his wake.

Staring at the ink on his pale skin, Axel almost couldn't believe what had just happened to him. When it finally had chance to sink in, joy washed over him and carried him away on the raging tide. Shouting an exclamation of glee, he turned and trotted after Zexion to present his prize to him while vowing to never wash his left hand again, or at least amputate it and have it framed. It wasn't like he was in desperate need of his left hand anyway.

Meanwhile, that boy that sat near the back of the classroom, to the left of the door, across from the clock, next to the window at the edge of the room headed to his own classroom with a smug grin on his face and thought about the redhead that sat right at the back, near the middle of the room, three rows left of the door. The boy that was far from a model student, one of the students that had almost no intention of ever learning anything.

Roxas could of thought about him for hours.

- - - - -

**Author's Notes:** I have no idea where this is going. Enjoy my random brain...


	2. Act 2 For Security

**Author Notes:** I was eating peanut M&Ms when I wrote this...

**Disclaimer:** What ain't original ain't mine. I'm sure you have the gist of it by now...

**Story Notes:** Runaway from all your boredom...Aaaaaaaannnd waaaaave!!! Huh? Oh, yeah: This story contains shounen-ai, possible yaoi, kissing and touching by boys to boys and some other random things...Like tomatoes. Yes, this story is really about tomatoes.

**Glory**

Act.2: For Security.

He was one of those that no one really understood completely. He gave off a cold and aloof demeanour and seemed to like it that people saw him that way. He always preferred his own thoughts to the opinions of others and there were few people that tried to get into his world to try and change him. Beneath the way he distanced himself from people was something likened to practically a child. Weak, insecure, lost and alone. He just never let anyone see it.

It was better that way.

People didn't get close to him, so therefore in the end, people couldn't leave him.

He'd never have to suffer hurt nor pain, and he welcomed it into his life. Nothing was to be savoured or held onto, because he didn't want to have a need for others. Almost everything was a fleeting moment in his life, best not to be tied down lest he become used to it being there.

How on Earth he managed to be Axel's room mate was something few people understood...

He might have been staring at that tomato for hours.

The door opened to the small, two-bedroomed apartment, then closed again once the second member of the household entered. Black bag was dumped onto the kitchen counter that also doubled as the dining table, and the redhead passed the brunet whom seemed to be locked in a staring contest with a fruit. Pausing in his steps to his room, Axel looked over at the scarred face and raised a curious brow. "What are you doing?" he asked, resting a hand on the surface, green eyes looking at the round and reddish orange object.

"Fruit or vegetable?" came the soft voice.

"What?"

"Some people say it's a fruit, other's say that it's a vegetable," he replied.

"It's a tomato..." Reaching out, he attempted to grab the tomato, only to have his hand swatted away by a gloved hand. "Have you been home all day?"

Leon shrugged. "I went to do some shopping and all I bought was this."

Axel's hand rose to his face and he tried to comprehend just what his flat mate had been thinking earlier that day when he'd been 'shopping'. "That's all you bought? What about anything else?"

"Nope, just the tomato,"

Groaning in defeat as the happy mood he'd been placed in slowly began fading away, Axel thought it best to leave brunet and his tomato alone together and headed for the place he was originally intending to go to before his rather strange room mate caught his attention.

Axel was still in high school and his parents decided to kick him out because he was 'too much to handle'. Leon was several years older than the redhead and he'd been trying to find someone to replace his previous room mate. Several of Axel's friends suggested Leon to him and the pair were soon living under the same roof.

To Axel, Leon was a strange, cold and rather self-centred person who just seemed to drift through life without letting people in.

To Leon, Axel was a strange, loud and rather annoying person who just seemed to get on people's nerves, unless they knew how to put up with him.

The living arrangement suited them fine.

Behind him, the phone decided to start ringing. Without removing his gaze from the fruit on the counter, Leon leaned back on his stool and grabbed the phone. Sitting forwards again, the receiver was held to his ear while his free hand reached out to poke the fruit to see what would happen. "Yeah...?" he muttered.

"Squall!" called a voice from the other end.

"It's Leon," he corrected, finger brushing over the red skin.

There was a giggle from the other end. "Yeah, sorry. Well, there's a party tomorrow night, are you gonna go?"

Leon shrugged. "I don't know..." he said simply. "I'm kind of busy..."

"It's a Friday night! How can you be busy?"

Again, he shrugged once more, despite the person calling him not being able to see any of the movements he did. "Who's the party for?"

"Aerith is throwing it as a 'Welcome home' party for Stiltzkin. Memory of Xehanort are gonna be there too and you've got to show your support for your local band you know." explained the female voice on the other end of the line.

"Stiltzkin? I didn't know he left..."

"Oh come on! Do you not pay attention on anything your friends do anymore?" It was strange how people considered themselves his 'friends', especially with the way he acted towards people. He was surprised anyone would ever want to be friends with him. "He's been travelling all around the world and he's coming home tomorrow. You have to come, or else I'll come over there and drag you out"

Repeating past movements, Leon's shoulders rose and fell in a shrugging motion. "I don't know, Yuffie..."

She growled playfully down the line. "Don't be such a sour puss!"

"Even if I say no, you'll make me go," he explained, sliding his fingers around the sides of the tomato and picking it up. Flipping his wrist, he continued to watch the tomato with deep curiosity as it sat in the palm of his hand. "So no matter what I say, I'll be going."

"That's the spirit!" she chimed.

"Whatever..."

Yuffie giggled. "There we go. Oh, and Aerith wants it to be a theme party too, so everyone has to wear a mask,"

"Why?" he asked, setting the tomato down and rubbing his forehead. Her jovial tone was starting to become irritating to him.

"So that Stiltzkin can try and figure us all out if we hide behind masks. Plus, it gives everyone the chance to really be themselves at the party. Even the guys from the band are doing it too. Ooh, you could even wear a lion mask!"

"Sounds wonderful," he said, sounding non-too-enthusiastic about it. "So do I have to turn up at a certain time?"

"Aerith hired out this huge hall, it even has a stage. You turn up at about five and you can help us with decorations"

"Why should I help out?"

She whimpered in a pretend and childish manner. "Because you're big and stwong?"

Somewhere out of the blue, Leon found himself chuckling very slightly. He stopped when he heard the girl gasp.

"You just laughed!"

"No I didn't."

"You did too..." she cooed. "But you'll come and help out? We'll even get your mask for you,"

Leon sighed and nodded. "Alright, I'll help. But the mask better not be something stupid..."

"Great! Hey, maybe you'll even get a date this way?"

"I don't need a date," he said simply, rolling the tomato between his palm and counter top. A date might lead to him getting to know the person, then he'd get used to them and in the end he'd just get hurt when they went away. It was better if he never met anyone he could form a relationship with.

"Of course," she said, but didn't sound as if she was agreeing with him. "Oh, and Aerith says hello. Do you want to talk to her?"

"Whatever..."

There was a soft, feminine laugh on the other end this time. "Don't be so hard on yourself," she said gently. No matter how hard he tried, the young woman just seemed to calm him; it was almost frightening. She managed to chip away at the protective shell he built up around himself and yet the fear that she was getting to him only seemed to kick in when he was alone and thought about her.

"I'm not hard on myself," he replied.

"We're always here if you need to talk to us, Leon. Don't block us out entirely,"

Removing his hand from the fruit, he rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't..." he mumbled.

There came that soft laugh again. Soothing and calming; chipping evermore at his shell. "How are you feeling today then?"

He pondered her question a while, trying to come up with a worthwhile reply. In the end he gave up and just replied however his body wanted him to. "Alone," he said simply. "I've made rather good friends with a tomato though,"

Once more Aerith laughed. "Thank you, Leon,"

"What for?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck again.

"For just being you. I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

He was about to reply, when a thought struck his mind. "Shopping?"

"What?"

"I tried shopping, but I couldn't. D-Do you want to...um..."

"I'd love to, Leon," she said, interpreting the male's words. "I'll be over in a little while,"

Something twitched at the corners of his lips, and Leon found himself smiling. "That would be nice. Bye,"

"Bye,"

There was a click and Aerith was disconnected. Leaning back, the receiver was placed back onto its stand and pushing the stool away from the counter, Leon slowly stood up. Leaving the tomato alone, he walked with barefooted across the tiled floor to the bedroom of his red headed room mate. Knocking lightly on the door, he waited for the other to welcome him in before turning the handle and opening the door. Head peered around to see what he was up to.

Laying upon his stomach on his bed, hugging a pillow; Axel was staring at his cell phone almost as intently as Leon had been staring at his tomato. He'd changed out of the stuffy school uniform students of Twilight High were forced to wear and into a comfy pair of old and worn faded blue jeans and a black t-shirt. Knowing Axel, it probably had something offensive on the front, but luckily Leon couldn't see what it was, what with the boy laying on his stomach.

"It only works if you put it next to your ear," stated Leon as he leaned against the door frame.

"I'm debating," he said, glancing up from the electronic device to the male he shared a home with. "Have you ever debated calling someone before?"

"Not really," he said simply, complete with a shrug.

Axel sighed, smoothing a hand over his hair. "So who was on the phone?"

"No one,"

"You sure were talking to them for a while if they were no one. So what did they want?"

"Are you going to some party tomorrow night?"

Axel smirked slyly. "Why, you wanna take me out?"

Blue eyes were rolled and Leon tilted his face away from the smirking teen to gaze around the rather messy bedroom. "Did you know its a mask ball?"

Axel snorted as he tried not to laugh. "You have to be kidding me?"

"Nope. Its so people can _be themselves_ apparently," he explained while moving to the boy's dresser. For a male, Axel sure owned a large array of make-up products and other such feminine things. There even seemed to be a selection of lipsticks amongst the mess of scattered and discarded objects. "So are you going?"

Thinking on it, Axel shrugged and closed the flip lid on his phone. Pushing himself up and spinning his legs around, he sat up, clutching the pillow to his chest, green eyes watching the older male intently as he scoped out his room. "Yeah, I'm still going," he said with a grin. "So what brought this on?"

"Brought what on?"

"This! You're in my room. You're even talking to me. Whomever it was on the phone seems like they've done something weird to you," he explained as Leon lifted one of the bottles from his dresser and inspected it. "I was fifteen when I moved in here and we've barely talked so much. Well, you've barely talked so much. Do you know how infuriating one sided conversations are?"

"Not really," he said as he lowered the bottle back down and turned to look at the teenager once more, arms folding at his chest. "What's wrong with me wanting to talk anyway?"

"You just don't do it,"

"It's better for me that way,"

"So why are you doing it now?"

Leon shrugged. "Because I wanted to," he replied simply. "Oh, is there anything you want? I'm going grocery shopping."

This caused Axel to laugh. "Shopping? You went earlier and all you bought was a tomato!"

"If that's all you want..." he made his move towards the door.

"No, wait!" he called, leaning forwards on his bed, one hand supporting his weight while the other reached out towards the brunet. Green eyes were wide and almost pleading as they looked up at Leon. "Can you get me some soda?"

"Anything else?" Leon asked, looking over his shoulder as he stood in the bedroom doorway.

"Just...Get food, alright?"

With a nod, Leon turned and left the room, leaving Axel alone. Once the older male had shut the door, the red head sat back on his bed and stared down at his phone.

Did Roxas know about the party theme? Did he already have a mask? If he did, what sort of mask would it be? Thousands of questions buzzed around in Axel's head, all fighting for top spot to be the first one asked once the teen plucked up the courage to actually call the spiky haired blond. There was all manner of thinks that Axel to say to him, but first he needed to simply call the boy.

That was the current hard part.

Reaching out, he grabbed the cell phone, flipped it open, and after a quick check to the number still written on his now treasured hand, Axel entered the number. Moving the phone to his ear, he waited nervously for the object of his desire on the other end to answer. Fingers toyed with his sheets through nervousness while the ringing noises sounded through the electronic devise. Lower lip was pulled into his mouth and front teeth bit down upon it.

"Please pick up..." he chanted, forming a mantra while he waited for what seemed to be an age.

When, success!

Or so Axel though...

"Greeting foolish mortal!" answered a voice. There seemed to be another voice in the background, but Axel couldn't pick it out. The voice that had answered though sounded like Roxas, but not quite. There was a slight difference to it. "You've called Roxas' cell phone, but he can't talk to you right now!"

"Why not?" he asked, hoping it wasn't voice mail that had answered the call.

"Because he...um..." Obviously, the voice hadn't thought up an excuse as to why Roxas couldn't answer his own cell phone. There was still shouting in the background, and the one on the phone laughed. "Because I said so!"

Axel sighed, but the commotion on the other end seemed to disperse some of the nervousness and anticipation that had built up within him. "That's not a good enough answer, creep. I called Roxas, not you, so put him on."

"And who may I say is calling? Hey, Roxas that's my favourite, put it down! No, not the scissors!" There was a pause and from what Axel could tell, a loud thunk signified the phone begin dropped. In the background there was shouting, stopped when a stern voice joined the shouting and the voices quietened down. Then random noises of perhaps someone picking up the phone.

"You still there?" asked a voice that sounded distinctively like Roxas', which elevated Axel's happy mood.

"Yeah!" he almost shouted, shuffling around on his bed to get comfy and hugging his pillow tight to his chest. "What just happened?"

"I threatened to cut up my cousin's security blanket and he just gut-punched me," explained Roxas happily, although sounding a little winded. "I'm sorry about him answering my phone, I wasn't expecting any calls tonight,"

Axel pouted sadly. "You-You weren't expecting me to ring even after giving me your number?"

Roxas gasped in shock. "Oh! Axel!? I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else."

This did nothing to soothe Axel's current hurt ego. "Oh, right..."

There was once again voices in the background. "Hey Axel, can I ring you back in about an hour? My house is currently like a zoo..."

Shoulders slumped and Axel sighed. "Yeah, okay..." After all the time he'd spent building up the courage to call the boy, he didn't even want to talk to him.

"Great, I'll call you when I can!" replied Roxas. "Bye foolish mortal!" came the voice that had answered the phone originally. "Sora, piss off!" There was a pause. "Bye Axel, was nice to hear from you!"

A small smile managed to form on Axel's lips. Roxas sounded truthful when he said it was nice that he'd heard from him. "Bye," he said just before the line went dead on the other end. Flipping the phone closed, Axel tossed it onto the bed and flopped backwards with a heavy sigh of defeat passing his lips. After a few moments of simply laying there, he rolled over and grabbed his phone. Pushing it into his pocket as he slid off his bed, blankets slipping with him and falling to the floor. Moving away from the bed, Axel left his bedroom in search of Leon, who had returned to his staring contest with the tomato.

He could always count on Leon to be doing something out of the ordinary to help cheer him up.

"You're fucked in the head,"

"Whatever..."

- - - - -

**Author's Notes:** See, a whole chapter that involved a tomato! Well, not entirely, but most of it contain the tomato.

To start with, I'm not jumping between characters. I might start defining when it extremely passes from one character to another, but I'm trying to simply 'drift' from one to another. Imagine it like the like pointer in The Sims or whatever. When one character comes into contact with another, it might change onto their story, or they'll just be part of the current story running. Or something along those lines. We'll see if I like this style or not -shrugs-

Secondly; No this story will not contain AerithxLeon. She's helping him break out of his shell is all.

Next up, Aerith and Leon go shopping and Roxas learns the meaning of life! Or maybe not...


	3. Act 3 For Friendship

**Author Notes:** I'd like to thank everyone for always being so nice and to RoxasIsLove, because you rock!

**Disclaimer:** Square-Enix is my God...

**Story Notes:** Shounen-ai, yaoi and anything else boy love related. I have no idea where this is going, I just write...

**Glory**

Act.3: For Friendship.

She was always prompt, never one to be late, else the person she was meeting worry about her. Of course, she could take care of herself rather well, but she just adored the way people worried about her. People just seemed to always want to take care of her, even though she didn't need it. Even if he didn't show it on the outside, she knew he worried over her, and although there had been no exchange of times, she still made her way to his apartment as early as she could.

Aerith had her own personal way of knocking.

The door was closed, but she could hear the voice on the other side shouting, then the sounds of something hitting the floor and shuffling around until the door was finally opened to reveal a tall, gangly youth with wild red hair and a black t-shirt with the words '_This orgy sure is off to a slow start_' printed in white lettering on the front.

She stared at him for a few moments before breaking out into a sweet smile. "Afternoon, Axel," she said sweetly, attempting to peer around him to see into the small apartment. "Is Leon home?"

Hand reached up and rubbed the back of his neck while he moved to one side to allow the young woman to enter. "Shower," he said, jutting his thumb towards one of the doors leading off from the kitchen. "Least I think so. I heard the water running."

Another smile as she entered, placing her pink purse onto the table beside a discarded tomato. It had taken her about an hour to get to the building since she had to explain to Yuffie that she didn't want her to accompany them on their little shopping trip. Aerith understood just how much effort it took Leon to put up with the bubbly female and thought it best that she not come along. "How was school?" she asked, looking over at the youth that was now attempting to find something in the refrigerator that he could eat; rather than it eating him.

"Same as ever," he said, straightening up and sniffing the contents of a plastic container. "I got Roxas' number though. I don't think he expected me to ring him though, at least it seemed that way," Deciding it best not to even taste the strange brown mousse-like substance in the container, he placed the lid back on and returned it to it's home near the back. Green eyes watched in intently for a few moments just incase the other 'things' in the fridge decided to welcome it home.

Nothing happened though, so he reached out for a yoghurt pot, lifting it to read the label.

On her stool, Aerith smiled, nodding her head as she listened to him. "I'm sure that he was just surprised. I think his cousin is staying over for a few weeks and they household has been pretty busy" she said, trying to reassure the teenager. "And I don't think you should eat that, it looks rabid"

Axel smirked as he looked at the now open yoghurt pot. It said strawberry on the label, but he wasn't so sure strawberry was supposed to look – or smell – anything like it did. So he set it down on the kitchen counter. "There might be an undiscovered life-form somewhere in here..." he mused. "I wonder if it tastes good?"

She chuckled in reply to his comment. "That poor, undiscovered life-form. Being eaten by you. How do you think it would feel inside your mouth?"

There was a huge smirk on his face. "I dunno. I haven't had many complaints from other people that I've had in my mouth!"

Aerith tried hard to fight off the blush, gasping at Axel's rude comment. "Axel!" she scolded. "How rude!"

He chuckled as he closed to refrigerator door, giving up in his search for something edible and leaned against it. "I'm sorry, Aerith. I'm really a sweet and innocent little boy and I don't know anything about sex or blow jobs."

"I should hope not," she said, folding her arms upon the counter top. Her green eyes soon spotted something tall standing in a now open doorway and she smiled brightly. "Lovely to see you, Leon!"

He nodded his head briefly to her before making his way into the small kitchen. His brunet hair was still damp and strands clung to his forehead. He wore his usual clothing of leather pants lined with many belts, heavy black boots and a white tank top. Once he was close to Aerith, she could smell the various soaps and shampoos the male used when cleaning; the main scent being lavender. "Axel's not bothering you is he?" he asked her.

Shaking her head in reply, she smiled up at him. "I take it grocery shopping has been put on hold lately, or are you waiting for the things in your fridge to do it for you?"

Axel sniggered. "He went early, and bought a tomato," he explained, reaching out for the fruit that was still sitting on the counter, only to once more have his hand swatted away by Leon's own hand.

Aerith kept the smile on her face, watching the two interact. Well, Axel interact and Leon ignore him while he pulled on black gloves and his fur trimmed jacket. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting," she said as she stood up, fingers curling around the handles of her purse and making her way towards the door.

"Not at all," Leon said softly as he held the door open for her. Shooting an icy glare back at the red head he lived with before closing the door, he walked at Aerith's side as they walked down the corridor. "How did you get here?"

"Vincent gave me a lift," she said warmly, reaching out and looping her arm with Leon's. She enjoyed his company, and she noticed just how much something as simple as linking arms affected the cold Leon. She could feel some of the ice he'd built up to protect himself melting away as his shoulders fell into a more relaxed position and he just seemed more alive. "So how are you feeling?"

He gave a slight shrug, once more opening a door for her. "I'm not sure..." he began, tongue slipping out from between his lips to moisten them. "I don't feel so alone anymore,"

She sighed softly, shaking her head. "You could be surrounded by a thousand people and still feel alone, Leon. I'm glad I can help you though,"

Free hand reached up to rub the back of his neck, eyes glancing to his side where she walked happily, a beautiful smile upon her soft lips. "It's better that way."

"Is it?"

He sighed, eyes falling to the tarmac ground of the car park as they walked to his car. "I don't know..." he said after a short silence, holding the door open for Aerith so that she could slip inside. "I used to think it was, but now I'm not so sure."

Aerith knew that she was the only person Leon ever truly opened up to, and she was curious as to why. He had many people that considered him their friends, but for some reason none of them were able to open him up as much as she did. Yuffie had once said that it was because Leon had a crush on her, but Aerith didn't seem to think so. It seemed to be something other than him being in love with her.

As the car started up and pulled out of the car park, Aerith glanced over at the brunet, hand pushing back some of her hair behind her ear. "Leon?"

"Hmmm...?"

"What do you think of me?"

"Pardon?"

"Well, you only seem to open up as much as you do with me, and I want to know why," she explained, watching him as he drove the car with the usual cool and composed demeanour that he had when he did anything.

He shrugged. "I just feel like I can't not tell you things," he explained, turning a corner. "I don't like having to depend on other people, I don't want to become used to things so that when they go, I won't have to miss them," Leon continued. "I want to be strong, but with you I feel like I'm able to simply tell you things because you'll understand. You don't try to get me to open up."

She listened intently, nodding along. "So you're not worried if I ever go that you won't miss me?"

"I already miss you when you're not around anyway, Aerith," he said, glancing over to her. "I must sound like an idiot,"

Quickly shaking her head, she reached out and placed her hand lightly upon his arm, before giving it a firm, comforting squeeze. "Not at all, Leon. Infact, I think it's wonderful that you can open up to me."

He gave her a slight smile, pulling into the car park of the large grocery store. "You just have the ability to make me feel like I'm human. I've never really felt like that for a long time"

"Really?" she asked, climbing out of the car and closing it behind her. She quickly caught up to the driver, once more linking their arms together as they walked towards the large entrance.

He nodded. "I'm glad you don't think I'm an idiot, Aerith."

She reached up, brushing away strands of hair from his forehead, a warm smile upon her face. "Never, Leon. Never." Maybe it was love, or maybe it wasn't. Aerith didn't care right now, because Leon thought of her as something special, and she didn't want to loose that by asking any questions that might get him to think about why he opened up so much to her.

With Aerith at his side, shopping seemed to be much more interesting and an enjoyable experience, instead of the boring and mind-numbing task of walking along the isles and choosing things from the mass selection of brightly coloured packages that sat on their shelves going 'Buy me! Buy me!' He pushed the trolley along, watching as she walked infront, choosing the different things and placing them in neat piles inside the cart.

He even had a bright smile on his face.

"You're smiling," she mentioned as she placed a large round tin of cookies inside the cart.

"Am not," he said, doing nothing to hide the bright smile upon his pale lips.

"You are!" she said, pointing an accusing finger at his face. "I can see it right there. Don't make me get my camera out!"

Arms folded on the handle, back bent as he leaned forwards, Leon did something so very un-characteristically Leon and something that Axel would do.

He smirked.

Gasping at him, she rummaged through her purse in search of her cell phone, and quickly flipping it open, she took a picture of the smirking Leon. "I never thought I'd see the day..." she said as she saved it.

"Don't you dare show any...one..." he said, voice drifting off at the end.

"Hmmm?" Her own eyes followed the icy blue gaze down the isle to a figure dressed in the ugliest and unflattering green apron she had ever seen. Even the male's attempts to make himself look better with the nice and snug fitting black pants and the navy turtle neck did nothing to improve the tarnished image that the evil green apron did. Blond hair was spiked in a gravity- defying style, and there was a lion style earring in his ear.

She knew instantly whom it was staking shelves.

Walking over, she tapped him on the arm, and smiled up brightly at his face when he looked at her with surprise washing over his features. "A-A-Ae-Aerith!?"

"Hello, Cloud," she said warmly.

"Aerith? What are you doing here?"

"I'm shopping, what else would I be doing here?" she asked, glancing back at Leon who's gaze was still transfixed upon the spiky haired blond in the horrible apron. There was even a badge with the wonderful and helpful words of 'My Name Is: Cloud' fixed to one of the straps. "Well, I'm helping Leon with his shopping," she motioned to the male pushing the cart with a wave of her hand.

Blue eyes could not help but stare. The apron did nothing to hide the beauty beneath it. Golden blond hair, a soft satin like skin that must feel like satin to the touch. Eyes so blue that Leon could feel himself being pulled into the ocean depths of the eyes that looked over at him. There was a smile on kissable lips, and a hand waved at him. Leon could feel his stomach in his throat.

"Hello, Leon," he said in greeting, before looking back to the young brunette female. "I was going to say, you don't shop here, you don't live anywhere near here."

Aerith continued to beam brightly. She'd noticed something in Leon she had never seen before. Trying her best to ignore the stinging of her heart in her chest at the look Leon had given the blond, she tried to keep a positive out look on things. "Had I of known you worked here, I might of started," she said sweetly.

Cloud pouted. Leon felt like melting. "I'd rather not have everyone invading the place where I work. Especially Yuffie, so no telling her I work here. Got it?"

With a firm nod, and a salute, Aerith agreed not to tell the girl in question about Cloud's work place. "So when do you finish?"

"Another hour," Cloud said sadly. "Then Seph is gonna come and pick me up,"

"Oh really?" she asked curiously. "Where is the great Sephiroth right now?"

Cloud smirked evilly. "Babysitting"

Hand flew to her mouth as she gasped in surprise. "What?"

Out of the conversation that made him feel like a third wheel, Leon picked up two names. One involved Yuffie, and was ignored, but the second name perked his interest. "Sephiroth? You know Sephiroth?"

There was a slight nod from Cloud. "Yeah. Do you know him too, Leon?"

Every time he heard his own name coming from the gorgeous creatures mouth, Leon felt his heart skip a beat. He'd never been infatuated by anyone before, but somehow, this Cloud just captivated him. "He's in my English Literature class at university," Leon explained. "He sleeps a lot,"

Aerith chuckled, and for some reason that Leon couldn't quite fathom, Cloud blushed. He had nothing against the amazing rosy tint to the cheeks of such a beauty, but Leon was curious as to why he had done such a thing. "My, my, Cloud," Aerith said in a sing-song voice. "Looks like you've been a very naughty boy!"

Reaching up, Cloud scratched the back of his head. "It's only natural, Aerith. We don't just hold hands you know."

In his head, Leon was slowly piecing things together. "Wait, Sephiroth and you...Are a...?"

"A couple, Leon," Aerith said, looking over at him and watching a hurt expression appear in the icy blue eyes of the scarred man's face. She sighed softly, noticing something about Leon she had neglected to see before. "Two years is it now?" she asked, looking over at Cloud.

He nodded. "Nearly. Two years next week. He said he's going to do something special. Oh, he also says he won't be able to make it to that party tomorrow night, he has to go visit his family for the weekend."

"Oh yes, I completely forgot about it!" she said, realising why the silver haired male in question wouldn't be attending the welcome home party she was throwing for Stiltzkin. "Tell him I wish him well, and to say hello to his brother's for me"

"Will do," Cloud said, smiling. "So are you going to let me get back to my work before my boss shouts at me for slacking?"

With another bright smile, Aerith nodded sweetly, then walked over to the shopping trolley and Leon, reaching up and patting his arm to pull him from his own thoughts. "Come on, Leon, let's leave Cloud alone, shall we?"

He merely shrugged and with a wave to the blond, began pushing the cart along once more. Aerith gave Cloud a hug goodbye, and waved as she trotted after the brunet that now seemed to have fallen into one of his quiet moods. She had done so much in opening him up, but now he seemed to be the same Leon again.

"Leon...?"

"..."

She sighed once more, walking at his side. "Do you like him?"

There was a nod.

"I never knew you were..."

"I'm not," Leon said, running his hand through his now dry hair, eyes focused forwards. "Well, in a way. I don't know, I never really thought about it,"

Tilting her head to the side, arms linking hands behind her back, she watched Leon intently with a soft smile on her face. "Is that why you're so closed off? You never thought about it before?"

Then came another of Leon's generic shrugs when he couldn't really think of a good enough answer, but was often agreeing with whatever it was the other person had said. He'd been feeling so good too, but now he just wanted to build up that protective shell and hide for a few hours. Unfortunately, the one able to tear down his shell was still around, and he couldn't hide. He just wanted to talk to her because she made him feel that way.

"You're a strange one," Aerith giggled. "But I guess that's what I like about you so much!"

Leon smiled at her. She was wonderful and always seemed able to brighten his mood, no matter what had happened to make him feel depressed and down. Reaching out with one arm, he pulled her close into a light, one-armed hug. "So, do you think I'm his type?"

- - - - -

**Author's Notes:** I was going to have Sephiroth as Cloud's boss, but decided not to x3

A whole chapter filled with Leon-ness.

Next up, Roxas calls Axel back and Sephiroth talks teaches a parrot to talk dirty!


	4. Act 4 For Him

**Author Notes:** I'm on a writing spree!!!! Shame I can't do the same for Nobody's Loveletter now can I? Oh well...

**Disclaimer:** r3 is poor and does not have enough money to be in trouble for writing a fanfic, so whatever ain't original ain't her's.

**Story Notes:** Shounen-ai, yaoi, kissing, holding of hands, etc, etc, etc. Don't like, don't read. 'nuff said.

**Glory**

Act.4: For Him.

Were they blue eyes? They were blue-ish, more like an aquamarine type of colour. It was hard to describe them, but he really didn't want to think on them too much. Currently, the eyes were transfixed in a staring contest over the kitchen counter with eyes that were almost exactly the same as his own. But they weren't his eyes because they weren't in his head.

They were in a brunet's head instead.

"Give up!" said the brunet through gritted teeth.

"Never!" came the reply, followed by what sounded like the type of evil laugh a maniac warlord had when he was preparing to take over the world. "It is you that must surrender!"

Roxas sat at the far end of the kitchen counter in his parent's kitchen, watching a fifteen year old and a twenty-one year old hold an arm wrestling gone staring contest with one another. Palm of his hand supported his head as he sipped chocolate milkshake through one of those strangely shaped and brightly coloured curly straws.

It had all started with deciding what to watch on television. They couldn't use the one in the lounge because Roxas' mother had had the carpet cleaned and anyone that dared to even think about setting foot in the room would be in a world of hurt. So they were forced to spend their after-school hours in the kitchen which was the only other room in the house with a television. Roxas' tiny bedroom TV only worked with his computer consoles, and the one in the parent's bedroom was kept behind a locked door.

So, to the kitchen it was.

With both parents and the oldest sibling out of the house at their respective work places, it was up to the eldest's '_friend_' to watch the two younger males, despite protests that they could easily look after themselves. By friend, meant boyfriend, but according to the parents, they were no homosexuals living in the house.

Despite the oldest being as straight as a circle and his younger brother fitted into the bisexual category. Sora called it being 'greedy-sexual'.

Cloud had a television in his room, but it was hidden under a mountain of clothes that no one could actually watch it.

Sora had wanted to watch Hyper Teenage Werewolf In Space, while Sephiroth wanted to watch some crime solving program. Roxas didn't care what they watched, he was too busy pondering on when was the best time to call Axel back after leaving the poor boy hanging.

An argument had ensued, followed by the challenge to an arm wrestle. Sora was no match for the older, silver haired male, so had taken up trying to stare him down. It seemed like they were equally matched in the staring department, and by now both shows would of finished, but neither were willing to back down.

Roxas drummed his fingers on the surface, now blowing bubbles in his chocolate milk. They'd stopped calling each other names now and were locked in silence. "Can one of you please loose already?" he asked, his other arm propping up on the counter, chin falling into his palm.

"Not in a million years, squirt," announced Sepiroth, never once taking his eyes off Sora.

"Yeah!" agreed Sora. "What the gay said!"

Roxas sighed. If there was one thing one did not do to Sephiroth, it was call him gay. He could call it himself, and often did, but he only allowed a select few to call it him. Currently there was only Cloud that could call him gay, homosexual or any other comment describing his sexuality.

"I'll show you gay, boy!" shouted Sephiroth through gritted teeth, and showing his superior strength over the brunet, pushed him back off the high stool he was perched upon and onto the kitchen floor. Leaping up over the counter, because getting off his seat and walking round just didn't seem like the best idea at the time, and pounced on the male on the floor.

If Sephiroth ever thought about beating up either Cloud's younger brother or even his cousin for that matter, then the blond would be none too happy. Sephiroth didn't like it when Cloud wasn't happy with him and had made a mental note not to give Sora a black eye again, thus he chose the more peaceful way of beating Sora up.

By tickling him.

The wriggling and giggling mass pinned between a strong pair of legs, hand flailing and failing at fighting off the older male tried to call his cousin for help, but Roxas remained in his seat, watching the pair on the kitchen floor.

"Take back what you said," explained Sephiroth, making the terms of surrender clear. "And that you'll let me choose what goes on the TV,"

"Hahaha...N-never!" shouted Sora, refusing to give in. "Hahahaha!!! S-stop...Stop it!"

"Say it"

"You're not gay!"

"And...?"

"Your the hahahahaha...Master of the remote!"

It was amusing watching them. Sephiroth gave off a powerful and strong aura and didn't seem the kind to be a pushover. Nor did he seem like the type of male that would be good with kids. He did have his moments when he got very, very angry and people did not enjoy those moments, but overall, Roxas could see why his brother liked the silver haired man's company.

Licking his hand, then rubbing it into Sora's face, before standing up, Sephiroth took a deep breath while grinning triumphantly. "Hmph, foolish and pathetic mortal," he said, poking the still giggling Sora mass in the side with his toe. "You're weak,"

"And you're stupid," said Sora, pushing himself up into a sitting position, blue eyes glaring up at the older male.

Sephiroth merely snickered, then claimed Sora's seat, hand reaching for the remote control. "Aha! Come to me, Masamune!" Pointing the controller at the television in the corner, he began flicking through the channels in search of something other than children's cartoons to watch.

"You can't name the remote Masamune!" protested Sora as he attempted to push Sephiroth from his seat, only to get nudged back, then sent reeling backwards across the kitchen floor. It was a pathetic attempt to try and push someone twice his strength while wearing socks on a tiled and polished floor.

"I can name it whatever I want," Sephiroth said with a smug grin. "Now quit bothering me, runt. Don't you have homework to do?"

Roxas watched the pair argue for a few more minutes. It seemed that Sephiroth and Sora would never get along without resorting to violence. It might have been something to do with when Sephiroth first tried to get Cloud to go out with him, and Sora said that he would 'protect Cloud from dirty perverts like Sephiroth'. Obviously, Sora had failed, but he never gave up annoying the older male. It was cute how Sora did such a thing for his cousin, while Cloud's own brother sat back and watched the strange courting rituals of the Sephiroth as he attempted to woo the Cloud into being his mate.

Thinking about relationships and how people thought about other's that they desired got Roxas thinking about Axel.

Reaching into his pocket, he flipped open the new cell phone his mother had bought him and searched for the last number that had called. He'd not yet saved Axel's own number, just to be sure that the phone he had called from was his own.

Glancing to the chaos that was Sora vs Sephiroth, he pressed the call button and waited for the answer at the other end.

"Roxas!? Roxas! Roxas, Roxas, Roxas, Roxas!" came the answer after a short time of him listening to the ringing tone.

"You sound happy," he said, smiling brightly. Glancing over to the pair sharing the kitchen with him, he thought it best to leave them and slipped off the stool, sliding over the kitchen floor with his socks.

"I was worried you wouldn't call me back. It seemed like you didn't want to talk to me," Axel admitted.

Roxas smiled as he made his way along the hallway to the stairs that lead to his bedroom. "It was chaos at my place. My cousin is staying over for a while because his parents are on holiday and he didn't want to go. He enjoys annoying me, and I wanted to be alone when I had the chance to talk with you,"

He could practically hear the delight in Axel's voice. "Alone?"

"Yeah. Alone. Perhaps sitting on my bed...?"

There was a chuckle. "I never thought you were like that Roxas," Axel purred.

"Go sit on your bed," ordered Roxas as he used his shoulder to open his own bedroom door. Kicking it closed behind him, he picked his way across the floor that was scattered with computer game boxes, school books, paper, clothes and all manner of various things. Yet, compared to Cloud's room, Roxas' bedroom was tidy. Most of the mess had been cleared aside to make room for the camp bed set up in the corner so that Sora had a place to sleep. "Are you there?" he asked once he was perched crossed legged upon his own.

"Yeah."

Roxas smirked to himself. "So, like I said, sorry about earlier. I didn't want to make you feel unwanted,"

"No worries. But why didn't you think it was me calling?"

"Tidus said he'd call sometime today because for some reason he thinks I should join the school's blitzball team. He enjoys calling me to fail in attempting to change my mind,"

Axel chuckled on the other end, bringing a smile to Roxas' face. Axel had such a wonderful laugh and Roxas loved to hear it. Most of the time though, Roxas was only able to hear the redhead sniggering at the back of the class with Zexion and anyone else that happened to be with him at the time. Hayner often chatted with the pair, but that was only because Hayner tended not to pay attention in class, and those that did not pay attention sat at the back.

Where Axel sat.

Roxas had to look like he wanted to learn, because his parents were so worried that Hayner's influence would cause him to fall behind in his school work. Plus, he had his older brother's image to live up to.

"So I sound like Tidus on the phone then do I?"

Swallowing at a now formed lump in his throat, Axel's words caused him to blush lightly in embarrassment. "No, no. Not at all. Ummm, can we start this over again?"

Axel made one of those 'I'm not sure, but alright then' noises.

"So, are you alone?"

"The guy I share an apartment with is currently out shopping. Luckily, he's got a girl with him so he won't buy just a tomato this time."

And they were there for well over an hour, if not more. They talked about all manner of things, from when they first began watching the other, to the people that they lived with. They discussed the upcoming party and the homework they'd been set that Axel had no intention of doing.

Soon, the sounds of parents returning home and Sephiroth leaving floated up from downstairs. Roxas' mother called up to see if he was home, and in return Roxas shouted downstairs to announce his current location.

"Parents home?" came a question from the cell phone.

"Yeah. Well, my mom at least. Is your flat mate back yet?"

"I think so. I heard voices a while ago, so either they're back or we've had loud burglars. Either way, as long as the fridge is restocked I don't care"

Roxas laughed softly. He had thoroughly enjoyed his time talking with Axel and didn't want it to end, but hearing his mother calling him signalled that it was time to wrap things up. For now at least.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

"Depends on if I'm raped and murdered by the burglars tonight. But for you, I'd drag my undead corpse to school."

"I don't do dead people,"

"Even sexy ones?"

Roxas laughed. "Even sexy ones!"

Even though he couldn't see the red headed male, Roxas could imagine the pout that swept over the male's face at the words. It was all false, of course, but Axel had such an adorable pout, coupled with puppy dog eyes. Had he been there in person, Roxas may have been singing a different tune.

"Alright, maybe if it was extra sexy and had red hair I'd _consider_ it..."

These cheered him up. "Great! I'll be in school tomorrow!"

"Bye Axel,"

"Laters Rox!"

Click.

Phone was flipped closed and dropped to the bed beside him. Grinning to himself, Roxas flopped onto his back on his bed and looked up at the ceiling. Even though he wasn't there, Axel just did something to him that he just couldn't quite put his finger on. But, whatever it was left him with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

Mother shouted up once more, and puffing out the air in his lungs, Roxas sat up and pushed himself off his bed. Picking the path across the bedroom, he opened the door and was confronted by a huge grin attached to a face that was so dangerously close that the pair nearly bumped heads.

"You mind?"

"You!" Sora took a step back and pointed an accusing finger at Roxas, before pushing the tip against the end of the teen's nose. "You left me alone with the gay!"

Blue eyes rolled in their sockets, tongue clicked in his mouth. Sometimes Sora was just so childish. "You too seemed to be getting along so well though. I thought I'd leave you two alone to have some _quality_ time together,"

Sora pouted, folding his arms across his chest. With a 'hmph', head turned away from his cousin and he pretended to look as if Roxas' words had somehow managed to offend the upbeat and overly hyper youth. After a few moments, he held a hand out towards Roxas' face in a child-like manner. "Talk to the hand, the face ain't listening."

"Same as ever then?" Roxas asked with a smug grin, pushing past his cousin to head for the stairs.

"I'm not done being mad at you!" called Sora after his almost identical cousin. Heavy footsteps brought the teen into a flying tackle onto the other teenager, the pair crashing onto the ground near the top of the stairs. "You left me alone with Sephiroth! He might of raped me or something!"

A dangerous place for a play fight, but neither male seemed to notice just how close to falling down the stairs they were. Rolling away from the edge, Roxas tried to escape from Sora that now had taken up a seated residency upon his back. He was a fat lump and managed to keep Roxas pinned where he was.

Down the stairs and along the hall, the front door to the house opened to allow Cloud to enter his home, with a Sephiroth in tow. Blue eyes wandered up towards the sound of voices and spotted the wrestling pair. Raising a brow at the sight, he moved aside to allow the other to enter and remove his coat. Unzipping the long leather trench he wore, Cloud shook his head at his relatives. "Fifty bucks says Sora falls down the stairs first," he said, holding out his hand towards the taller male at his side.

Sephiroth pondered the offer, then slapped his own hand against the blond's with a bright grin on his face. "I say they both fall,"

"Thanks for the support guys!" came Roxas' voice.

"Yeah, some cousin you are!"

Cloud smirked up at them. "I'm glad to be of service to you both,"

"If neither falls, do I get to push them?"

"Sephiroth!" shouted both of the wrestling boys.

With his attention on the two at the bottom of the stairs, Roxas took his chance and pushed Sora off his back. Crawling away he quickly stood up and ran down the stairs, crashing into his older brother at the bottom. Luckily, arms wrapped around him to stop the sibling from falling over.

Cloud was always a good catch.

Face buried into the warmth of a navy sweater, and arms slipped around the waist infront him, giving the older sibling one of the tightest and warmest hugs he'd given the older male in a very long time. Roxas even felt the arms that were wrapped around him return the hug, and a face nuzzled into his hair. They didn't hug as much as they used to these days, and Roxas missed hugs like these. No one on Earth could hug as good as Cloud.

There was a scoff from Sephiroth, the long silver hair flowing behind him as he walked passed the stairs for the kitchen, hand flipping stray locks back over his shoulder in a rather girlish manner. Leaning over the banister, Sora shouted 'gay' down at him, and received the 'finger' in return.

"What's this for?"

Roxas nuzzled his face into the warmth, mumbling his reply into the fabric.

"Can't hear you"

Tilting his head up, chin resting on the firm chest, Roxas beamed up at his sibling. "I just thought you needed a hug"

One blond eyebrow rose above the other. "Me? It looked like you were the one after the hug" With quick movements, he pulled Roxas into a crushing hug playfully, one hand moving to give he shorter blond a noogie, twisting and turning his fist onto the scalp, amidst the spiky blond hair. Brotherly love at it's best. Roxas flailing uselessly as he attempted to escape Cloud's arms, and finally breaking free and almost falling over as he backed away, blue eyes glaring at him, Cloud merely grinning smugly back at him.

Little brothers.

In Cloud's opinion, he couldn't have anyone better.

- - - -

Author's Notes: Dundundundundun!!!

Next; Sora braids Sephy's hair and Axel dangles from his ankles out of Leon's bedroom window!


	5. Act 5 For Food

**Author Notes**: Here goes...Another chapter to Glory, wheee!!

**Disclaimer:** I'm poor. Please don't hurt me. I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

**Story Notes:** I don't really know where this is going, or what sort of plot there is. Its just lots of random chapters thrown together to make some sort of story...I think. I should really be doing the dishes...

Story contains slash, swearing and whatever else I can get going here.

**Glory**

Act.4: For Food.

There is nothing wrong that says that a healthy, growing young male cannot eat like a giant panda and not put any weight on at all. No amount of stealing things from other people's plates or late night snacking seemed to put any extra meat on those bones of his. Quite frankly, he didn't care, but there was always someone that would dote and fuss over the fact that eating like a pig and not looking like one was a problem that must be dealt with.

They had been shopping, and there was a considerable amount of food that was there for the eating.

However; he was not allowed to eat any of it. It merely sat in neat little piles while the young brunette cleaned out any living organisms from Leon's refrigerator, despite all of Axel's protests that she was murdering undiscovered lifeforms. He attempted to get Leon to join in and defend the creatures living in the plastic containers, but the older male was more interested in his dear friend Mr. Tomato.

"Urgh, what _was_ this?" Aerith asked as she pulled out plastic bottle and dared to sniff at the contents. "Please tell me it wasn't milk"

Axel moved from his barstool at the kitchen table and took the bottle from her and gave it a tentative sniff. "No, it wasn't milk," he said, sniffing it again. "I don't remember what it was. I think its been here as long as I have..."

Looking up from the tomato he was gazing at, Leon held out his hand, motioning to Axel to hand him the bottle. Once it was passed to him, he set it down and peered into the murky green depths. "Gravy," he said after a few minutes of inspection. "I think."

"Gravy!?" gasped Aerith, staring in amazement at what was supposedly gravy that had been living inside Leon's refrigerator. "How does gravy end up with its own civilization in your refrigerator?"

"Rin made turkey dinner once and there was lots of gravy spare," Leon explained. "There was some turkey left too, but Zell dared Irvine to eat it and, well, that night didn't end well"

"Poor Irvine!"

Leon chuckled. "Who said Irvine ate it?"

The female gasped once more, hand covering her mouth in shock. "Who...Ate it...?" she asked, almost fearful of the answer. She knew what Zell and Irvine were like; when those two were involved, anything could happen. She was rather shocked to hear that Irvine was moving out; he seemed to be getting rather close to Leon.

"Zell"

Axel made fake retching noises, and even Aerith could feel her stomach becoming queasy. Making Aerith feel sick was quite a feat, especially since the contents of Leon's fridge had yet to deter her. But she paled at the thought of Zell eating spoiled turkey.

"How much did he eat?" Axel asked.

"None," Aerith relaxed considerably at this. "He puked all over it when he went to get it out the fridge, so we made him throw it out."

"And you didn't think of getting rid of the gravy as well?" came Aerith's next question.

Leon shrugged, looking back at the tomato sitting on the counter. "I forgot it was in there. Rin always made the best gravy though."

"Where is Rin these days?" came another question from Aerith as she went back to removing the foreign objects from the male's fridge. "Last I heard was from Cid complaining about great mechanical talent going to waste."

Axel shot a confused look to Aerith's back, then another at Leon. The conversation was getting a little confusing. "Leon, you said Rinoa was useless with machines..."

"Rinoa is, but Rin isn't. Rikku's cousin, you know, the girl that talks her own crazy language? Rinoa can't cook and she can turn a toaster into a weapon of mass destruction; so if Rin is ever mentioned where food or mechanics are involved, we're not talking about Rinoa. Rin is currently ensuing a career in cooking."

The red head gave a long, slow nod to show he understood what Leon was saying about the difference between Rin and Rinoa, especially since now and again, he had heard people calling Rinoa 'Rin'. Once his brain had turned the slow moving gears and he clicked, Axel grinned, then looked to Aerith who was now finally filling the refrigerator again, and with food that wasn't going to eat them, form its own civilization or want to be taken out for walks.

Once it was all neatly packed into the shelves, Aerith held her hand out towards Leon who was still locked in a staring contest with the tomato. With her back turned, Axel took his chance and stole a milk carton, quickly opened it up and began gulping away at the contents as fast as he could before Aerith had chance to realise what he was doing and scolded him.

"Leon - the tomato."

He seemed to take a few moments to contemplate her request, up to the point where a small pout formed on his lips at the thought of having to hand his new friend over. But, without a word, he silently placed the fruit into the hand held before him.

She took it with a smile and turned to place it in the fridge, using her other hand to grab the carton from the tall redhead. "No drinking from the carton, Axel" she stated, placing both items neatly in the food container unit. Closing the door, she turned back around and smiled brightly at both males. "Right, well, now I don't want to see anything growing in there. Nor do I want to come over and have to save whatever creature has formed in there from freezing to death. I want you both to keep on top of the dates. If you don't eat it by the best before date, I want you to throw it out"

"What are you, my mother?"

She clicked her tongue. "I'm helping Leon, you're just extra baggage."

"Nice to know I'm loved" he retorted.

She smiled sweetly at him. "Well, I best be getting home before Yuffie decides to cook herself something again."

"Do you want a ride?" Leon offered. Aerith declined with the shake of her head, then went to gather her things. She'd even bought a few things for herself at the supermarket. Before she reached the door, the stool Leon was sat upon toppled to the floor, and the male that had been sat there moved and wrapped his arms around her, pulling the young woman into a hug. "Thank you," he whispered to her. "For everything"

There was a soft blush on her cheek when he released her. Standing on her tip-toes, she planted a kiss to his cheek, then left with a soft goodbye to them both.

"Well, that's a side of you I've never seen before," stated Axel as he leaned against the fridge, the carton of milk back in his hand, tongue licking the milk from his lips.

"Don't get used to it," came the simple reply while the brunet lifted the bar stool and tucked it back against the counter. "I'm going to bed," And with that, he left Axel alone in the little kitchen.

Green eyes drifted to the clock on the wall. It was one of those black cats with the eyes and tail that moved right to left each second, only there was several dents and holes in the plastic. According to Leon – when Axel had asked – Irvine used to shoot it with a pellet gun from different locations in the room. Luckily, the clock still worked.

It was still too early for someone to be going to bed.

Taking one last gulp from the milk carton, Axel placed it back into the fridge then slinked off towards where Leon's room was with his hands in his pockets because he was itching to go and nosy; to touch things and see just what went on the room he had yet to be inside.

The wooden door was left ajar, and he nudged it open with his foot, then peered his head around. "Le...?"

The brunet was on his side, back to the door, curled up with his hands near his head. He had the large of the two rooms, but not by much. It was kept neat and clean with only a few discarded clothes littering the floor and books and papers strewn across the desk across from the door. Above the head of the bed was a strange sword-like weapon. It looked like a gun combined with a blade. Axel instantly recognised the design upon it. It was exactly the same as the necklace he wore and the patch on his jacket.

"Is everything alright?"

"Just peachy, now piss off"

Ignore the request for him to leave the other male alone, Axel entered the room and moved to the bed, perching on the edge behind Leon's body, looking at the wall opposite where two uniforms hung on the wardrobe door.

"You're a little old to be wearing school uniforms," Axel stated.

"They're SeeD uniforms."

"What's that when its at home? Sounds like some sort of hippie organization"

There was movement behind him, and Leon shifted around, soon sitting up, resting an arm over his bent knee. "Its what the students of the Gardens were called"

"You mean those crazy government institutions where they also taught the students how to fight? They were trained as mercenaries, right?"

"I went to one called Balamb," Leon replied, answering a question Axel hadn't even asked. He ran his fingers through his hair, then moved to sit beside the male that was staring at his clothes. "Its where I met Zell. Irvine went to one called Galbadia, but he transferred to Balamb because of complications"

It was strange hearing Leon talking about his past. Usually the male kept to himself, rarely indulging anything what happened prior to Axel even meeting him. No matter how much the red head pressed him, Leon just wasn't the type to actively talk about his past.

"Soooooo...You've got combat skills?" Axel asked, slowly turning his head to look at the other. "You don't seem like the type"

"Why, do you think I'm a push over?"

"When it comes to Aerith you are"

"She's different,"

A smug grin formed on Axel's lips, and he poked Leon in the ribs. "You love her," he teased. "You luuuurrrvvveee Aerith! Leon and Aerith, sitting in a car! Are they kissing? Yes they areugghrfldmurf!"

Leon had his hand pressed firmly against Axel's skull, pushing the male's head against the comforter on his bed. His other hand had a tight grip on the red head's wrist, his arm twisted behind his back. It was a matter of mere seconds from Leon sitting beside Axel and listening to his childish taunts, to having the younger male pinned down and whimpering in agony.

"I-I-I'm sorry!" he whined, crying out in pain as Leon twisted his arm again. "I didn't mean it like that!"

Brow lifted slowly, Leon shooting the whimpering mass of red hair a curious glance. "Aerith is a wonderful young woman, but I do not have a crush on her"

"I understand!" Axel shouted out, burying his face into the blanket to hide his humiliation.

"Now are you going to play nice, or do I have to hang you by your ankles out my window?" He gave Axel's thin arm a quick jerk just to further prove his point.

Axel screamed out in pain, nodding furiously. "Yes, yes! I'll stop it! Please let me go..."

Doing as the younger male requested, Leon released his hold on him, moving his knee off the bony back and loosening his hold on his wrist. Sitting back on the bed, he watched as a whimpering Axel sat back up, rubbing his wrist sadly. He looked like a kicked puppy. His bottom lip stuck out and he stared at his feet, occasionally glancing through the corner of his eye at Leon, just to make sure the other wasn't gloating or thinking about causing him anymore pain.

"You look pathetic,"

"You're mean,"

"You suck,"

"You suck cock,"

"You're a fucked up gay-tard"

Axel burst out laughing. "Gay-tard? I'd of at least said faggot or something. What on Earth is a gay-tard?"

"You"

"Bastard"

"Faggot"

Axel chuckled, shaking his head lightly at the way Leon replied to the 'insult game'. "I didn't even know you knew how to play"

"Irvine and I used to do it all the time," Leon admitted proudly, stretching his arms out infront of him, fingers interlocked so that his knuckles cracked. "But we used to see what stupid insults we could come up with to make the other laugh"

"Can't imagine you laughing much, you act like you have a constant stick the size of my fist stuffed up your ass"

"You walk like that"

"Piss off"

"You're in my room"

Axel was almost about to reply with a 'well, what are you gonna do about it', but his brain instantly replayed the scene of him getting his butt handed to him by the older male, and he quickly snapped his jaw shut. It was best he not voice that otherwise Leon would probably hurt him worse. "Aerith makes you more human," he stated after a long silence fell over the pair like a blanket.

"I know" Leon sighed heavily, eyes drifting over the small photograph that sat on his bedside drawers. The plain mahogany frame held a picture of Aerith, himself and a chestnut brown youth wearing a cowboy hat. "The only other person that managed that even a little was Irvine"

Axel had only met the cowboy hat wearing Irvine a few times since moving in. Once when he first moved in, again when Leon was ill and bedridden for a whole week, and the male was around for the whole week. There were a few more instances, but they barely exchanged words. "Did...Did you and Irvine...ever..."

Leon expelled air through his nose. "Yeah," he answered before Axel had time to finish his question. "But he got jealous of how I acted around Aerith. It's why he moved out. Said he couldn't stand living with me any longer"

"So...You like guys?"

"I've never thought about it, I don't like getting attached to people"

"I've noticed" pointed out the red head, watching Leon intently with his green eyes. "So why aren't you dating Aerith if she makes you feel human?"

"Because I don't love her like that. I love her as a friend, I could never change that; it would ruin what we have."

The brunet was resting against the headboard, arms folded behind his head, grey-blue eyes focused on the ceiling above them. Taking his eyes of the male, Axel flopped backwards onto the bed, allowing his lids to slip over his eyes. He'd been living with Leon a while now and never had they shared such a conversation. Leon barely said three words to Axel on most days, but here he was indulging the other in his life. Not wanting a thick silence to fall over them again, Axel opted to ask another question. "Is there someone you like that you would date?"

Smile crawled onto his lips. Yeah, there was someone that he'd like to date – total shame that they were taken. Didn't stop Leon wishing though. After all, what one cannot have they want more than anything. "I've only seen him a few times. Spiky blond hair, beautiful blue eyes. He has a body I could ravage over and over until there was nothing left of him."

"He sounds like my Roxas" Axel mused. "But my Roxas has a sexy little body, one that you want to cuddle and take care of, not ravage and leave for dead."

Leon chuckled, poking Axel in the side with his foot. "Maybe they're related?" he considered. "Ask him if he has any brothers next time you talk to him."

"You don't expect me to set you up with the brother of the guy I'm hoping to date? That would be just wrong. You'd be all cuddly on the couch, and I can't even hold Roxas' hand without his big brother glaring daggers at me!"

"Sucks to be you then, doesn't it?" Leon smirked evilly, poking Axel's side with his foot again. "But you're going to do this for me, because if you don't, you'll get a nice view of the ground outside when I dangle you out the window by your ankles"

Gulping, Axel nodded. He didn't dare say no to a man that could probably snap his arm like a twig. Hell, Leon could probably snap _him_ like a twig. Not wanting to dwell on his own demise, Axel sat up, smoothing back his hair with his hands then looking to the male that looked to still be staring up at the ceiling – if it wasn't for the fact that his eyes were closed.

"I'm going to get a soda, do you want one?"

"I'm fine," came an almost whispered reply.

"Riiiight...I'll leave you alone"

"You do that"

Lifting his body off the bed, Axel left Leon's bedroom, closing the door quietly behind himself. In the time he'd spent with the brunet, he'd learned more than all the time he had through living with the older male. That Aerith woman was quite something. Maybe he should spend some time with her, just to see what all the fuss was.

When Axel left his room, Leon's eyes opened slightly to look at the door, watching as it closed. Aerith really was something; her influence lingered even after she left, leaving Leon wanting to feel the comfort other people could offer him, even if those people were Axel. To be honest, there wasn't much wrong with him, but this was Leon, and he had learned to tolerate several different kinds of people. Axel was like a Zell, Irvine and Yuffie combined. He was a friend, and Leon felt comfortable enough to share things with him.

But maybe that was just Aerith's influence all along.

He didn't want to dwell on it. His stomach growled. Maybe it wasn't Aerith at all.

Maybe he was just hungry.

- - - - -

Author's Notes: Yeah...I have no clue.

I take forever with these things xP


	6. Act 6 For Fun

**Author Notes:** I know I neglect my fanfics something rotten, and I know how much you guys are enjoying this fic, because I read each and every review I get! I wish I could keep up with a regular up-date schedule, but sadly I'm not that good x3 Also, please don't hurt me for this chapter, I was going to IM my friend and the wonderful writer that is ShadowAili to stop me from doing this, but she wasn't on at the time. So it's her fault what chaos ensues. But, before you go and rant at her, go read her fics. Oh yesss, Crack is fic-pimping!

**Disclaimer:** Square Enix and Disney are to blame for the amazing worlds of Kingdom Hearts and the lands of Final Fantasy. Which means I don't own anything but my own skin and a replica of Squall's necklace. Oh, and an official 'Summons of Final Fantasy' Bahamut. He lives on the 360 next to Jack Sparrow.

**Story Notes:** This story has no plot, no point and is written merely because my brain spawns plot turtles that somehow like to join together in the great ocean that is known as Glory. It contains shounen-ai, yaoi, slash, boy on boy hot man lovin' or whatever else you wanna call it. If you don't like that, don't read.

**Glory**

Act.6: For Fun

Twenty is an age that few people understand. It's that age where one is no longer a teenager, but not being quite twenty-one means that a select few of 'old school' people don't see you as an adult either. Twenty one is where you get 'the key to the house'. Apparently one can also buy solvents at twenty one, but there was no need for him to go out and buy such things. Although, one look at him that morning would have one thinking he had been sniffing solvents and was now rather high.

Parents had left early for work, leaving their eldest in charge of breakfast and all other morning activities.

Usually on his days off, Cloud would sleep in, buried under the blankets and threaten to decapitate anyone that dared awaken him. But this morning he had energy to spare since being woken at five am by Sephiroth who wanted to wish his boyfriend goodbye, left Cloud unable to go back to bed.

Cloud was one of those people that, once woken, could not go back to sleep.

His mother had left him with orders to see to it that Roxas and Sora were up and fed then off to school by nine. It was half seven and he had stolen their blankets. Sora had attempted to cling onto his for dear life, only releasing his hold when the blanket ran off down the stairs, dragged by a cackling Cloud.

Then he had found the most random, cheesiest and annoying music ever created and was playing it at a volume loud enough to bother the boys upstairs, but not loud enough to have the neighbours complaining.

A sleepy looking Roxas appeared at the door to the kitchen just in time to see something blond whiz past, holding a spatula like a microphone and singing into it.

"_Now here we go_"

"Cloud?"

"_To start the fun, to start the show_"

Roxas blinked. Blinked again. Then blinked once more just for good measure and theatrics. His older brother was sliding around the tiled floor, singing and frying eggs. The usually spiky blond hair looked freshly washed and was pulled back from his face into a spiky pony tail, the long bangs held in place by bright pink hair clips that had originally been bought as a joke for Sephiroth.

Roxas needed a camera.

Roxas needed a video camcorder.

Roxas needed a darn NEWS CREW!

But it would probably not go down too well on morning television, since Cloud was wearing only his work apron - and thankfully for Roxas - a pair of boxers.

"Kick you legs high in the air, do it like...Roxas!" Cloud had turned around, finally spotting his little brother standing in the doorway, mouth hanging open, blue eyes staring at his older sibling in something that was between shock, horror and fear. Cloud threw him a grin the rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Hey there, Rox. Want some eggs?" he asked as if he had not been caught doing something so very non-Cloud.

"What side of the bed did you roll out of this morning?" Roxas asked, shooting a confused look to the other blond as he made his way to the breakfast counter, cautiously slipping onto the stool. "Because you sure as hell didn't fall out of the wrong side"

Cloud grinned, ruffling Roxas' sleep-mussed hair affectionately. "Well, if you must know, brother dearest, I crawled off the end"

"More like you're off at the deep end" Roxas muttered, grabbing the nearby remote and began flicking through the channels for something to watch. Anything to take his mind off the fact that aliens had abducted his older brother and replaced it with something that was definitely not Cloud. Either that, or when Sora's blanket had been stolen, the brunet had melded with the older male to form this strange, hyperactive being.

"Won't the fat ruin your apron?" Roxas asked, glancing over at Cloud who had returned to the bacon and sausages.

Cloud shrugged. "I don't care. I don't like the job much anyway. The guy who runs it is a complete ass face. I just wanna run him through with a large carrot whenever I see him" the blond explained. "He's a disgusting pervert. There's this guy who works in the fruit and veg section who's scared he's going to get raped or something"

"Who's gonna get raped?" asked Sora as he meandered into the room, rubbing his eyes and almost falling back to sleep on his feet. When Cloud had dragged him and his blanket along, Sora had curled up on the landing and attempted to go back to sleep.

"Guy that works with Cloud," Roxas explained, finally settling on Super Hero Justice Force as a source of background noise. At the sight or the super-hero filled cartoon, Sora's eyes lit up and he quickly claimed a spot infront of the television set.

Cloud was dishing out the breakfast when he spotted how fast Sora could go from falling asleep on he feet to wide awake and focused on cartoons. "That stuff will rot your brain, Sora,"

Sora made a noise that showed he had heard Cloud, but was sub sequentially ignoring him at the same time. It was a grunt along the lines of "Hush, cartoons" and he pointed at the screen.

Setting plates infront of the boys, Roxas went to pick at his food while Sora multi-tasked; inhaling his breakfast and keeping his eyes on the TV.

"How can he eat like that?" Cloud asked, pulling his eyes away from Sora to look at Roxas. "He eats like he's not human, and its not like he comes from an 'eat fast or starve' home either."

Roxas chuckled, swallowing the food in his mouth. "I dunno. He is friends with Wakka and Tidus; the food disposal units. So what's gotten into you this morning? Your boyfriend is going to be away for a while, aren't you going to miss him?"

Cloud shook his head. "He always comes back"

"Is everything going alright with you two?" Roxas asked, arching a brow at his brother's quick reply. There was a smile on the other's lips, but Roxas had a feeling that Cloud wasn't telling him the whole story.

There was a soft sigh. "I'm not sure," he replied, spearing a sausage with his fork. "I'm not sure if this is just something to do with his mother which will pass, or if there's something else involved"

"His mother?" Roxas asked, tilting his head lightly to the side. "But she's dead?"

"Kadaj won't let her die though. He's got it stuck in his head that she's going to come back to him. It was this time two years ago she died, but Kadaj is still stuck in the past before she was hospitalised. Loz and Yazoo are doing all they can to help him, but I think being separated from Sephiroth is making him worse," Cloud explained between mouthfuls of breakfast. "But enough depression, today is a good day; I'm not letting it go to waste" Cloud beamed at his younger brother, reaching over and stealing a large slice of bacon, stuffing it into his grinning mouth before Roxas had a chance to reclaim it.

"I have school," Roxas moaned, quickly finishing the rest of his food. He didn't want hyper Cloud from stealing any more. "Today is not a good day"

"There's nothing wrong with school," Sora announced, his cartoon finally over and his breakfast fully inhaled and settled happily in his now full stomach. "Plus, there is a party tonight"

"You're not going," Cloud announced, looking straight at the brunet. "Its not a party for kids"

Sora pouted, thumping his chest. "I'm not a kid"

"You're still not going," he turned on Roxas who was slowly trying to slink away. "And neither are you"

Roxas grinned sheepishly. "Sorry Cloud, I have a date" and he dashed from the kitchen before Cloud had chance to catch up with him, the older blond skittering across the polished floor as he attempted to catch him.

"You don't date anyone unless I say so!" Cloud called after his brother, fingers scrabbling at the nearest surface to keep himself upright before his feet touched carpet and he bolted up the stairs after his laughing younger sibling. "Who are they and where do they live so I can kill them!?"

"Ha! With moves like that, you wouldn't be able to catch him!" Roxas called from his bedroom, diving inside the room and locking the door, his older brother colliding with it.

"So it's a 'he' is it?" Cloud shouted through the door, rattling the handle as if sending vibrations through the metal would make it give up and release the lock. "I'll cut off his testicles and stuff them so far down his throat he'll be coughing up sperm for months!"

"Such a lovely image," chuckled Roxas, his back resting against the door. Sometimes Cloud was overwhelmingly overprotective of his little brother that Roxas thought it was almost like a choke hold. It was sweet sometimes, but other times it was annoying. Currently he was enjoying tormenting his older brother like this. "Don't worry, he's a cool guy. He's got a place and works part time and everything. He can kind of be a bit hot-headed and full of himself at times though"

"Oh God, your dating Seifer..."

"Roxas is doing _**what**_!?" asked Sora. The brunet had been keeping out of the way of the two brothers, but now he needed to get ready for school and his clothes were currently held hostage in the room where Roxas was hiding. Maybe he could climb up the drain pipe and into through the window...? Shaking his head to rid it of strange thoughts of random morning activities, Sora returned to staring in shock at the door Cloud was slumped against in defeat. "Why is Roxas dating Seifer?"

"I'm not dating Seifer!" shouted the door in a Roxas voice.

"You better not be dating Seifer," Cloud warned, glaring daggers at the door, willing it to open with the power of his mind.

"I'm not dating Seifer!" Roxas repeated.

"So tell me his name"

"No"

"Roxas!"

Roxas sighed, unlocking the door and jerking it open, taking a step back when his brother came toppling into his room. "I'll introduce him to you tonight," he said, poking Cloud's head with his foot. "You can play the evil older brother and scare him shitless"

Bright blue eyes looked up from the floor to the other blond. "You mean that?"

Roxas smirked down at his brother. "I mean it" He gave an affirmative nod just to prove he was agreeing to allowing his big brother to scare Axel.

As quick as a flash, Cloud was up on his feet and hugging Roxas. "You're the greatest little brother" he cooed.

"And you're on crack or something. I've never seen you so hyper" Roxas replied, smelling fat and grease on the ugly green apron his face was buried into. "Well, there has been a few times, but usually you're so serious"

"I felt like a little change," he replied, pressing a light kiss to Roxas' hair. "I think it was that hug yesterday"

"Right. Blame it all on me"

"Uhm...Can I go get dressed now?" Sora asked from his spot behind the two males. "I'm meeting Riku before school"

Oh right, the boys still had school. Releasing Roxas and allowing Sora into the room, he stood in the doorway, watching as both boys did various things of their morning routines. "Either of you two want a lift?" he asked, resting his head against the door frame. Eyes wandered over the state of Roxas' room and it reminded Cloud that he really needed to get around to tidying his own room. His mother had been yelling at him for weeks to clean it before rats migrated into her bedroom.

"Meeting Riku," came Sora's reply from the bathroom, muffled by what was possibly his toothbrush. A few years ago, their parents had the entire house remodelled, and both Cloud and Roxas shared the bathroom situated between their rooms while their parents had their own bathroom, complete with a few more luxuries such as a jacuzzi tub and a sink each.

Blue eyes turned to Roxas who was busy styling his hair. "You?"

"Like I'm going to turn up to school in that thing you call a car"

Cloud smirked, wiggling his eyebrows at his younger brother. "Who said I was going to use the car?"

Roxas' head snapped around so fast, Cloud was sure he was going to break his neck. "You'd take me to school on Fenrir!?"

"I was thinking of taking it out for a spin anyway," he explained. "But only if you hurry. If you're not ready by the time I am, I'll leave without you."

Roxas had never got dressed and prepared for school so fast in his life. He was tugging on his tie as he bounded down the stairs while Cloud was still in the bathroom spiking his hair. Sora had shouted his goodbyes to the other two males and headed out to meet his own friends. Hopping from one foot to the other, Roxas could barely contain his joy at being able to turn up at school on something as cool as a motorcycle.

Roxas wasn't one of the popular kids. Sure, he was friends with Hayner who was well known among his peers, but that was through being the class clown than a cherished student. His other friends were Pence and Olette. Pence was great with computers, and Olette was 'the voice of reason'. She made sure the three boys did their homework and went to class. She was also the editor of the school's newspaper; Insight to Destiny.

Cloud rarely allowed anyone to ride his motorcycle. Even The Great Sephiroth had been banned from riding, although the incident that occurred involved hands going to southern places and Cloud unable to keep his eyes focused on the road ahead. Not that Roxas knew this though, he had been witness only to the aftermath, where Cloud was highly pissed and locked himself in his bedroom, leaving Sephiroth to sulk in the hall until he left to go home. He blocked up the phone lines for a week trying to get Cloud to forgive him. Roxas' mother had missed an important phone call because of that.

"Here, this should fit," Cloud said, tossing a blue helmet to his younger brother before searching the little ornamental key rack for the keys to the garage. "Make sure its on tight"

"Worried about me falling off?" Roxas asked, scrunching up his nose at the head gear, knowing full well it was going to mess up his hair.

Cloud snorted, snatching up the keys and pushing Roxas out the door, locking it behind him. "Best be prepared; most car drivers have no respect for motorcyclists," he explained, opening up the garage to reveal the spacious interior. It usually held three cars and Fenrir, but currently two of the three cars were out, parents having gone off to work. Cloud's car was a puke green coloured thing with a hint of rust. It was old and in dire need of seeing to with a baseball bat. His friend Tifa had attempted to make it look 'pretty' by covering the exterior in happy little stickers. The car nicely screamed gay pride. Even Cloud was often loathe to drive anywhere in it.

But Fenrir was the love of his life. He cared for it like it was his very own child. Chrome glistened, the paintwork shone. It was a beast to behold.

It roared like a beast when the engine was started, then purred like a kitten. Cloud swerved in and out of traffic, pushing the bike to the point where he could feel Roxas' nails digging into his skin through his jacket. A huge grin was on the older blond's face, while the other paled slightly when Cloud took a corner a little too fast.

But he slowed after a while to allow Roxas to relax, and by the time they reached the school gates, Roxas didn't want the ride to end.

"That was amazing!"

Cloud grinned, lifting the visor of his helmet up and looking at his little brother. "Glad you had fun"

Roxas beamed up at him, dismounting and pulling the helmet off. "It was scary at first, especially at that one corner, but, wow!"

A faint blush tinted Cloud's cheeks and he made a mental note to take Roxas for another spin again. He made a better passenger than Sephiroth. A gloved hand took the blue head gear back, and he placed it into the box at the back. "Well, I think it's time for school. Get going, before I have to kick you all the way there"

Grinning from ear to ear, Roxas waved to his brother, then headed into the throng of students, blue eyes searching for his friends, hoping that they had seen him turn up on a motorcycle. They were no where around, but someone slung their arm over his shoulders and grinned down at him. Strands of red fell into emerald green eyes and there were reverse tear-drops beneath his eyes.

"A motorcycle? And here I thought you couldn't get any cooler"

Roxas chuckled, looking up at the taller male, grinning. "I've more secrets than you've had hot dinners, Axel."

Axel mused on this for a few seconds. "Hrm, I dunno, I've had plenty of hot dinners"

- - - - -

**Author's Notes:** Huzzah!! I bet you're all going 'FINALLY! I've been waiting -insert time length here- for this update!' xP

Yeah...I've been pretty lazy as of late.

Next up, Xemnas makes coffee and Xigbar teaches archery class!


	7. Act 7 For School

**Author Notes:** How long now since the last update? I deserve to be shot, don't I? But have no worries, I'm not stopping any of my fics, I'm just a slow updater (:

**Disclaimer:** -insert yammering on about not owning Kingdom Hearts or anything Final Fantasy related-

**Story Notes:** AkuRoku, LeonxCloud, mentions of CloudxSepiroth and some other stuff I can get in it. I'm going to not feature a tomato in this chapter! Well, attempt to, anyway xP

**Glory**

Act.7: For School

In his seat next to the window, near the back of the class, but not quite, left of the door and across from the clock, Roxas worked on the questions the teacher had indication with chalk on the board at the front of the room. His foot tapped against one of the table legs in a rhythmic way, trying to keep his brain from melting into mind numbing mush from sheer boredom.

It was the last day of the school week.

Today was Friday.

For all the other students in the school, that meant it was party night. For Roxas, it meant the same for him, but there was more to this party than what the average student was expecting. He was not only going with a date, but he had promised his older brother that he could meet said date. Oh, and his date was male.

Chancing a glance over his shoulder to search the back row for that familiar mass of red hair, blue eyes soon found it sitting with his feet up on his desk, arms folded behind his head, eyes cast to the ceiling while teeth chewed on a rolled up piece of paper, sticking out of his mouth like a cigarette. No wonder Axel was stuck repeating a year, the boy simply had no intention of ever learning it seemed.

Suddenly, those green eyes of Axel's dropped from the ceiling, and found Roxas looking at him. Grin spread on his lips, and he gave a quick wink. Roxas quickly turned around, trying to make it seem like he hadn't been staring. Axel was certainly something to look at, with that unforgettable red hair and piercing green eyes, but he was not going to be caught staring at him. But he'd been found out now, and by the end of class he wouldn't hear the end of it from the aforementioned red haired male. Forcing himself to focus once more upon the workbook laying open on his desk, Roxas answered the next question as fifty seven and was done with it. The next question was the square root of ninety two. Question five was 'cacti are found in the desert'. Question eleven was 'Shakespeare was the inventor of modern thought and ice-cream'.

By the bell rang to cry out the end of class Roxas stared at his book and wondered just what lesson he had sat through.

Instead of lingering on thoughts of school Roxas gathered up his things, thrust them into his rucksack, threw said rucksack over his shoulder and trooped out of the room with the rest of the class. As he meandered along the corridor to his locker and arm slung itself over his shoulder and proclaimed Roxas' shoulder under the name of Hayner.

"So, you going to this party tonight?" he asked, leaning much of his weight onto Roxas' shoulders. He either did not see the other blond glaring daggers at him, or was immune to his mental powers where his head would spontaneously combust. "I am. I'm taking a date too, so I can't pick you up. People will think things if we go together anyway. Are you going to go with Olette, or has Pence claimed that spot already?"

"I have a date," Roxas replied. "Its not Olette."

"She good looking?"

There was a small smile on Roxas' lips. "Nice long legs," he purred.

Hayner wolf whistled appreciatively. "You'll have to introduce her to me. Don't worry, I won't put the moves on her. Unless she's better looking than my date. Any more details other than a pair of legs?"

"Green eyes like jade or emeralds. Hair as red as blood on fire."

Brows furrowed on Hayner's face. "Can blood even burn?"

"Would you care to find out?" came a voice from behind them. Hayner pulled Roxas via the shoulder around to face the intruder. Axel stood with a grin on his face, a lighter in his right hand.

"Piss off, Axel. Roxas and I are having a man's conversation. Not for fairies like you." He made shooing motions with his hand.

Roxas unhooked the arm from his shoulder and ducked out of reach. "Hayner, I'll catch up with you. I want to talk to Axel."

Hayner shot them both a quizzical look, shrugged and then walked off. Blue and green eyes watched him retreat along the corridor and meet up with a pair of girls, slinging his arms over their shoulders as he intruded between them. Once he was far enough away to no longer be a threat to the conversation Roxas turned to Axel and smiled up at him.

"My brother wants to meet you," he stated.

"I don't do siblings," Axel replied with a sly smirk. "Unless both twins are hot."

"Not like that, smartass. He wants to meet you because I mentioned that I was going to the party with someone."

"Bit early to be meeting the family, don't you think?" Axel asked, following Roxas as he left his locker - after stuffing his books in it and collecting a few items – and headed for his next lesson. "Shouldn't I slowly be introduced to your family, starting with the 'rentals and then the awkward meeting with the big brother that involves an inappropriate wedgie, glares over the dinning room table and the customary 'If you hurt my little brother there won't be enough of you left to fit in a matchbox' conversation?"

"He can wedgie you tonight at the party," Roxas offered, pausing outside the door to his next classroom. "I'll see you after school and you can walk me home so you know where to come and pick me up from." Smiling, he glanced around at the fairly empty hallway, stood on his tiptoes and left a quick kiss to Axel's cheek. While the taller male stood there astounded and holding his cheek Roxas slipped into his geography classroom.

Blinking once, twice and a third time for good measure and theatrics there was little that could be done about the grin that infectiously spread itself upon Axel's face. He practically danced to his next lesson. Nothing in the entire world would ruin his good mood. Nothing at all.

Not even...

"Archery!?" he exclaimed, staring open-mouthed at his physical education teacher.

"What do we need to learn archery for?" questioned a youth that stood behind Axel.

The man with scars like he'd been wrestling a shark in a bathtub and sub sequentially lost an eye doing so grinned at the class. "Because archery is fun!" he announced. "Its like shooting things – medieval style!"

"So its drive-by shootings; old school?" came the voice of another helpful student.

"Exactly!" The teacher spread his arms wide, grinning like a madman. "Now I want everyone to collect a bow and practice aiming with these arrows."

Physical education for Roxas came on a Thursday when Axel had Chemistry. It saddened him that not every lesson was filled with Roxas, and the depression increased over the fact he couldn't watch Roxas changing into his sports gear, or returning from the field all hot and sweaty where he would then peel off the clothes in slow-motion and shower beneath a spray of hot, soothing water. While busy lathering himself up with soap, Axel would slip into the shower with him and kiss along the slender and beautiful neck.

With his thoughts distracted, Axel miss-aimed and shot the teacher in the leg.

"Holy shit!!" yelled out the teacher as he collapsed on the Astroturf and writhed in pain. "Axel you bastard child!"

Axel grinned sheepishly. Looking around to the other students he wondered if he should grin and make it seem like he'd done it on purpose, or truthfully admit that he'd been distracted. He could say he'd been distracted by thoughts of a naked and showering Roxas. While hastily looking around for a scapegoat he heard the authoritative shout of from another teacher as they stalked onto the field. They were calling out his name.

Rushing up to the second teacher the apology was already forming in his throat. "Sir! I'm sorry. A bug flew into my ear an-"

"Shut up, Axel," the man commanded, raising a hand. "My office: now."

"But sir, I really didn't mean to shoot him in the leg," he yammered in reply as he trotted after the head of the school, leaving the scene of the crime behind him. "I was distracted by this bug that fl-"

"I really don't want excuses, Axel. I told Xigbar that teaching archery was a bad idea."

"Uhh...Xigbar?"

"Your teacher, Axel."

"I just called him Mr. Eyepatch. I didn't know he had a name," Axel replied honestly, still following just behind. He was still carrying the longbow. The thought of running back outside to return it crossed his mind but then he thought it better if he just did as he was told. Walking a few feet behind the teacher Axel lifted the bow and aimed at the man's head with an imaginary arrow.

By now the rumors had hit the rest of the school. Students were lurking at the doors ignorant to the shouts of their subject teachers to see just who it had been to shoot Xigbar in the leg. Axel grinned as he passed his 'adoring fans', waving jovially at them. Passing through the geography department there was no Roxas standing at the doorway. There was a Seifer though, he shot Axel the middle finger. Axel retorted with the childish motion of sticking out his tongue then moving his right hand in an up and down motion with his fingers curled into a fist. "So are you Axel!" Seifer yelled back as the teen continued to follow the headmaster.

Said teacher glanced over his shoulder at the troublesome student. Grey brows furrowed on his face and Axel grinned innocently in reply. The older man shook his head and continued on.

Soon his office loomed ahead. Passing by the secretary, Axel shot her the thumbs up. The blonde woman rolled her blue eyes at him before returning to her work on the computer.

The cedar wood desk the man sat behind engulfed the majority of the room. Axel perched carefully on the edge of the seat opposite the man bow upon his lap and hands folded over it. His green eyes focused on the man before him.

The headmaster leaned over and pushed the intercom button to contact his secretary outside. "Quistis, can you please fetch Axel's file for me?"

"Right away sir," replied the machine in Quistis' voice.

Folding his hands neatly upon his desk the man studied the student sat before him. "Axel."

"Sir?"

"Whatever are we going to do with you? Not only are you having to repeat several of your previous year classes, but now you've managed to injure one of your teachers. I'd contact your parents but will the response be much the same as it was last time? Something along the lines of 'Well, _you_ deal with it then,' wasn't it?" He sighed heavily and dramatically including a shake of his head. "School is not a playground, Axel."

"I understand, sir."

Behind him, the door creaked open and the blonde secretary slipped inside, carrying a large folder in her hands. She set it down before the headmaster with little word and quietly excused herself.

The man opened it up and examined the first page. "This 'Squall Leonhart' you live with. I'm assuming he now represents your guardian?"

"I just live with the guy. He spends more time with his tomatoes than he does with me," Axel replied.

"But would he come up with a just punishment?"

"Does hanging me by my ankles from the rafters count as 'just', sir?"

The headmaster shot Axel a confused look. "Is he aggressive?"

Axel shrugged. It was difficult to distinguish one emotion from another when it came to Leon. Unless, or course, Aerith had been visiting. "I mean, yes sir. Leon would adequately punish me. He's from Garden. They had detentions and stuff there, didn't they?"

"So he's a soldier." He nodded. Leaning over he pushed the intercom button once more. "Quistis, can you give Axel's residence a call? We need to get in to contact with a Squall Leonhart."

There was a choked "Leon!?" over the com, followed by a "Yes sir, right away."

While waiting to see what would happen, Axel sat patiently on his chair, tapping away at the wooden long bow and occasionally tugging on the string. Five minutes passed. Ten minutes passed. After fifteen minutes, the intercom buzzed. "Sir, Mr. Leonhart said that he is unable to come in for a meeting today, but can make Monday. Until then he suggests giving Axel a detention."

"Thank you, Quistis." The headmaster looked to Axel. "Monday we will discuss what is going to happen to you. As for today you are to attend detention. School is nearly over, so head straight there."

Nodding to show he understood, Axel stood up and made to leave. With his hand on the door handle, he heard the older man behind him clearing his throat.

"The bow, Axel. Leave it here."

Backing up, the redhead left the bow on the cedar desk before slipping out. Once in the secretary's office he slithered up to Quistis' desk and leaned on the edge, beaming from ear to ear at her. "So what did he really say?"

She smiled. "Whatever," she replied honestly, since that was the main word Leon had used throughout the entire phone converation. "I knew that he was busy today and suggested Monday for him. Then I called Aerith."

"Why Aerith!?"

"Because she can get a reaction out of him, and give you the right punishment. They'll both be here on Monday to discuss what is going to happen to you."

"You; Quistis Trepe, are an evil witch."

She smiled sweetly at him, the smile laced with a kind of venom that only she possessed. "Leon is one of my friends. I'm only looking out for him. Now you have a detention to get to – so get."

Saluting to the woman, Axel turned and headed off to change before meandering to the geography department to wait for Roxas. Detention was not a place he frequented often. He'd get into more trouble on Monday because of skipping it today, but Axel didn't care. Today was his first ever date with Roxas. He couldn't miss out on finding out where the little blond lived. Plus, if it turned out to be true that he was indeed the younger sibling of the guy Leon had an obvious crush on the information could be used to his advantage.

The bell rang out announcing the end of the day. Bodies charged out of the classroom, glad to be freed for an entire two days. There were shouts about the party, people cheering and other such mindless things students did these days. Axel knew that the person he was waiting for would be nearer the back of the rabble. As the students began to thin that person walked out, headphones pushed into his ears once more. His blue eyes weren't even looking for him, instead focused on where he was walking.

Deciding to rectify it, Axel slipped up behind him and nudged him playfully with his shoulder. "Hey, did you have a fun lesson?" he asked.

Roxas pulled the earbud out and looked up. "What?"

"I asked if you had a fun lesson."

"You _shot_ a teacher."

"That had nothing to do with geography."

"You _**shot**_ a teacher!"

"No need to shout, Roxie. I know what I did. I didn't do it on purpose. He got in the way." A complete lie, and Roxas could tell by the grin on Axel's face that it was far from Xigbar's fault that he was now writhing in pain in A&E.

"And you don't have detention?" he asked.

"I'm taking a leave of absence."

Roxas rolled his blue eyes and headed for his locker. "As long as I don't get into trouble because you're playing truant I don't care." He tossed in a few books, grabbed a few others and stuffed them into his bag. Once he felt he had everything he needed he slammed the door shut and handed his rucksack to Axel. "Since you're avoiding punishment you can carry my bag."

"What am I; your slave?"

Roxas grinned impishly. "If you want to call yourself that." He began on his walk through the corridor, avoiding the main throng of students whenever possible. Axel trotted at his side carrying both Roxas' bag and his own. Compared to Roxas' bag his own felt as light as a feather.

"What do you carry in this thing? Lead weights?"

"Unlike you, I actually do my homework. I even take my homework home with me."

Axel chuckled. "Really? I wondered why they called it _home_work."

There was something about the roguish ways of Axel that drew him to Roxas, although the blond couldn't really explain it. Like the charm of a candle flame. Touch it and it burns, but it was enticing to watch for hours. Or perhaps he was more of a roaring fire, because the male had a warmth all of his own.

Whatever analogy could be used to describe him, Roxas was glad Axel had chosen him.

- - - - -

**Author's Notes:** I know many of you have been desperate for updates. I read each and every review and I enjoy reading them. You people make me smile. I understand how you all feel, several of the fics I read take ages to update. Yelling isn't going to make me update any faster, the real world tends to come first. Inspiration comes and goes and I'm not always able to tie it down for keeps.

The masked ball is coming up! Any suggestions for masks for the guys (everyone other than Leon) will be greatly appreciated! The best suggestions will of course feature right here in Glory.


End file.
